Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Manchester - Rise in Stranger Homicides not Linked to Mental Illness

Stranger homicides have increased, but this is not the result of homicides committed by mentally ill people and the "care in the community" policy, finds a study by researchers at The University of Manchester in this week's British Medical Journal. Instead, stranger homicides are more likely to be related to alcohol or drug misuse.

13 Apr 2004

Researchers find next generation of medications to help schizophrenics

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found that a new generation of medications called "atypical antipsychotics" can significantly lower the risk of violent behavior in people with schizophrenia who are being treated in community-based centers.

13 Apr 2004

Screening for alcohol problems in hospitals needs improvement

Many people admitted to hospitals in the U.S. have alcohol use disorders that go undetected, according to a new study by scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

12 Apr 2004

Surprises found In gene variation associated with schizophrenia

Approximately two percent of Caucasians have a gene segment variation that can cause a certain form of schizophrenia. Most people with the variation, known as a polymorphism, do not have the disease. A University of Iowa Health Care study reveals a good prognosis for people who do have this form of schizophrenia.

12 Apr 2004

Trials of antidepressants for children consistently exaggerated their benefits while playing down their possible harm

Antidepressants should not be used to treat children and teenagers, a controversial new Australian study has warned, saying clinical trials have exaggerated the benefits of the drugs and played down their side effects.

10 Apr 2004

A protein involved in the release of neurotransmitters in the brain is essential to learning and memory

A study published today in Neuron offers the first evidence that lack of this protein - known as RIM1 alpha - causes profound deficits in the learning process. The discovery is a major step in understanding the molecular events that underlie learning and memory - complex processes that can be impaired in human neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation and schizophrenia.

7 Apr 2004

Trauma Highly Prevalent Among Delinquents

Almost every boy and girl currently detained in a juvenile facility in the United States has experienced at least one major trauma, and a large proportion of these children have post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Apr 2004

The Food and Drug Administration issues warning on antidepressants

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a warning about the possibility of worsening depression or suicidal thought in people, particularly children, who take any of 10 popular antidepressants, especially at the beginning of treatment or when the dosage is changed.

6 Apr 2004

Alzheimer's live about half as long as those of similar age without dementia

Age, seriousness of impairment, and the severity of other medical conditions are important indicators of how long an individual might survive after an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, Eric B. Larson, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues report in the April 6 Annals of Internal Medicine. Study authors include Linda Teri, Ph.D., recipient of an Alzheimer's Association $1 million Pioneer research grant.

6 Apr 2004

Study Identifies Predictors of Alzheimer's Disease Longevity

It's among the first questions asked after someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease: "What can we expect?" It's a tough question that has been difficult to answer. But a new study suggests that assessing several key clinical aspects of the disease soon after diagnosis could help families and physicians better predict long-term survival in individuals with AD.

6 Apr 2004

Launch of The Oxford Genetics Knowledge Park by Matt Ridley

The Oxford Genetics Knowledge Park is a partnership between Oxford University and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, and is one of six such Parks nationally, funded by the Departments of Health and Trade and Industry. The aim of the Genetics Knowledge Parks (GKPs) is to translate advances in genetics research into clinical practice.

6 Apr 2004

Common cholinesterase inhibitor eases behavioral symptoms like agitation, depression, and psychosis in patients

The so-called "memory drugs" used to treat Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia also ease or prevent a barrage of troublesome behaviors that affect the majority of patients, ultimately lightening the burden on caregivers, researchers have found. They report their results in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

5 Apr 2004

Yohimbe Tree Bark Hold Promise for Revolutionizing Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

New findings at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to accelerate recovery from anxiety disorders suffered by millions of Americans.

4 Apr 2004

FDA has approved Zyprexa, injectable anti-psychotic drug

Physicians have a new fast-acting option for controlling the potentially crippling effects of acute agitation in patients suffering with schizophrenia and bipolar mania. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zyprexa® IntraMuscular (olanzapine for injection), an injectable form of Lilly's top-selling medication.

30 Mar 2004

Lack of iodine prompts new Australian study

A fear that Australians could be suffering serious ill effects from lack of iodine in their diets has prompted a new study of New South Wales, Riverina residents by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences.

30 Mar 2004

St. John’s wort may interfere with cancer-fighting drug’s ability to prevent relapse in leukemia patients

St. John’s wort, an herb thought to be a safe, natural remedy for mild depression, may interfere with a powerful cancer-fighting drug’s ability to prevent relapse in leukemia patients, a University of Florida pharmacy researcher will report March 27 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

26 Mar 2004

Study shows Levitra enhances patients' self-esteem by improving erections

The first clinical study to evaluate LEVITRA™ (vardenafil HCl) in men with mild Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and erectile dysfunction (ED) showed LEVITRA produced statistically significant improvements over baseline in all measures of erectile function (EF) and depression/self-esteem. In the study, men taking Levitra were nearly three times more likely to report improved erections than men taking placebo.

24 Mar 2004

Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System Lessens Decrease Hysterectomy Rates in Finland

In the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) or hysterectomy improves equally health related quality of life, but the costs after 5 years are significantly lower in women whose treatment was started with IUS.

23 Mar 2004

The placebo effect, study suggest pain management is possible

A Columbia professor has uncovered fresh evidence of the existence of the often-debated placebo effect. Even the professor himself, Tor D. Wager, of the Department of Psychology, was surprised by his team's findings. The study showed that the human brain processes pain differently when people believe that they have been given a pain-relieving skin cream. Wager, lead author of the study, defines "placebo" as a treatment that has no direct pharmacological effect and that may influence one's experience and physiology through one's beliefs.

22 Mar 2004

Supercomputer to help the diagnosis of epilepsy, stroke, depression and other brain conditions

The University of Oregon, Electrical Geodesics, Inc. (EGI), and IBM have announced a new project that uses grid computing, Linux and IBM supercomputer technology to speed and improve the diagnosis of Epilepsy, stroke, depression and other brain conditions.

22 Mar 2004